Tool and machine for fettling floor and wall tile



. I I 1,639,616 M. A. SCHWEIKER ET AL TOOL AND momma: FOR FETTLING moon AND WALL TILE I Original Filed April 16. 1923 2 sheets-sheen Ail 16, 1921. 1,639,616

' M. A. SCHWEIKER ET AL TOOL AND MACHINE; FOR FETTLING FLOOR AND WALL 'T ILE Original Filed April 16. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 16, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MALCOLM A. SCHWEIKER, OF LANSIDALE, PENNSYLVANIA, AND JAMES R. WEST- BROOK, OF METUCHEN, NEW JERSEY.

TOOL AND MACHINE FOR FETTLING- FLO OR AND WALL TILE.

Original application filed April 16, 1923, Serial No. 632,590. Divided ancl this application filed July 21, 1924. Serial N'o. 727,335.

This invention relatesto fettling tools and to machines for fettling floor and wall tile.

Fettling is the operation of beveling, or

chamfering the edges of a flooror wall tile after the latter comes from the tile press,

the purpose being to remove the fin-like projections from the tile and to suitably chamfer or bevel the edges, of the upper face of the tile.

In tile pressesthere is a certain clearance between the plunger and the die casing and as the pulverized clay which is used for the production of the tile contains approximately 8% to 12% moisture, the clearance 15 results in the formation of rough edges or fin-like projections. These are fettled by hand labor, the workers usually being girls or women who sand paper the projections from the tile and form the chamfer on the upper edges thereof. Hand fettling results in lack of uniformity of the edges of the tile and size of the ChillnfBlkbGSlClB which there is a tendency to carelessly brush the tile and to-allow minute particles of clay to remain upon it. Hand fetthng also adds considerably to the expense of production.

Much tile is ruined by Workers before they become proficient fettlers and the proficient fettlers often produce imperfectly fettled tile.

The fettling operation is considered to be necessary for the purpose of giving the tile a better appearancewhen it is completed, and, also, the chamfer stops the glaze from running over the edge of the tile andforming beads, roughnesses, or small lumps, if the tile is to be subsequently glazed. Roughnesses, beads, or small lumps of glaze inconvenience the tile-setter in the rapid setting of tile and detract from the appearance of the tile. 7 I

Our machine has fettling tools hereinafter described and shown. in thedrawings, constructed and arranged for the purpose of fettlingtwo tiles at a time as they are delivered from a tile press which 'forms'two tiles. simultaneously. v

,We wish it understood, H however, that some tile presses make only one tile at a time while others make as many as four, but in the tile industry as more tile presses forming two tiles at a time are used than those forming a lesser or greater number, we have described and illustrated our machine and the fettling tools as constructed and arranged for the treatment of tiles delivered in pairs, in succession, to the ma-lv chine. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited tojthe duplex construction we have disclosed and we claim the fettling tools and other mountings, as well as combinations in which they are involved, whether the tools be used singly or airs. )ur novel fettling tools possess a spring action so that they automatically adjust themselves to varyingthicknesses of tile or to tiles of varying degrees of hardness. This adaptability insures uniformity of fettling,

under widely varying conditions. F urthermore, the fettling tools are constructed to resist the very considerable wear offered by the abrasive nature of clay bodies. Our improved fettling tools are mounted in a novel manner for adjustment to meet any conditions encountered i thisclass of work. v 4

We are aware that modifications may be resorted to in certain particulars "without departing from the essential principles of the invention and we do not restrict the invention to the Specific embodiments hereinafter described and shown in the drawings, except where specifically set forth in the claims.

' This application is a division of Serial No.

632,590, filed April 16, 1923, which became .Patent No; 1,536,411, May 5, 1925.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of the left hand end of the machine set forth in our aforesaid patent. showing the mount mg and action of our fettling tools.

Fig. 2 is .a detail perspective view, broken away, of the operative end of one form of a fettling, scraping, or cutting tool made according to our invention.

' Fig. 3 is a detail'sideelevation, partly broken away, of another form thereof.

Fig.4 is an'end elevation of the tool of Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of one of the bridges, supports, or carriers for the fettling, cutting, or scraping tools; and

Hit)

fit)

round or cylindrical. and are endless.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of a part of the cross piece or support for the guides for the tile guiding belts of the machine.

()nly so much of the machine of our aforesaid patent is shown as will afford a clear understanding oi the manner in which the present invention is used.

That end of the machine which receives the tiles from the tile press is shown in Fig. 1. A part of the machine frame appears at 7, a roller 12 being suitably carried thereby. The conveyor belts 11 pass over said roller and over other rollers and pulleys, not shown.

Brushes 3 carried by a frame ti pivoted at 8 to main trame 7 and ad ustably suspended at 9, 1.0, clean the bottom or the tile ,press belts 11. shown by kept in aertect alinement that is travel along a predetermined path while being fettled. To that end, we have provided novel means for causing the tile to travel in a straight path while its longitudinal edges are it'ettled and, after the tile has been turned crosswise of itself to travel in a straight path while its transverse edges are undergoing fettling.

The means for turning the tile is not herein shown, nor do we disclose herein the setof tettling tools which acts on the transverse edges of the tile but full disclosure is given in aforesaid patent.

The necessity for keeping the tiles in alinement arises from the tact that it a tile turns or gets out oi alinement, irregular tettling will result and the tile will be damaged.

.The means for guiding the tiles so that they will travel in straight paths, in succession, one after another, while being tettled, comprises belts of small size which are preterably round in cross sectional shape, these belts being arranged to engage the sides or edges of the tiles with a certain degree of tension, as shown in 1. This tension is conveniently effected by the use of rollers or sheaves which bear on the belts.

As illustrated, the alinement belts 34 are Like the belts 11 the belts pass around the roller 12 and other rollers and drums not shown.-

'brid e ll. bodily transverse adjustment of the tettiing tools and, also, for SWlIlgID"tl1GH1 'pivotall'y adjustably mounted sheaves 4 0.

The innermost alinement belts 3st are held at the proper height and suitably operated "alongside the parting-strip l by passing around a sheave or pulley l l integral with the roller 12. The outermost 'a'lines ment belts'llet pass'around the outsides of the belts .11 and their iunder stretches travel through adjustable guide eyes 37 carried by cross pieces 38 secured to the trams 7, see Fig. 6. The guide-eyes3'7 maybe adjusted transversely of the machine to a'flord .Qthe requisite spacing between the belts 33 iand they may also 'be adjusted vertica'llyto provide any desired tension on the left hand stretches of the alinement 'belts 34.

The tiles are shown at T.

At the entry end of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1 the alinement belt-s diverge so that it the tile is received in other than alined position, it is gradually brought to proper alinement. position of the guides '37 enable alinement belts 3a 'to be arran sired.

l e'ttling of the longitudinal edges of the tiles T is accomplished shown in Fi 1 by the use of improved tettling tools and mountings,

Bridges 41, Figs. '1, 5, which are "secured the outer ged as deto the sides of the frame at 4-2 and overlie ment of the bridges ll may be obtained to V properly position the general extent o'i fthe tettling devices.

which are connected to the bridges 41 by adjustable screw fastenings 4'5 which are preferably bolt-s with wing nuts, the shanks of the bolts passing through slots 43: 3 the This mounting provides tor where the i'astenings 45 pass through them.

For the "purpose of swinging the shanks 44, they are connected to the sides of the frame by rods 47 which havescrew-threaded ends carrying wing nuts 4158. Thus, I after bodily adjustment of a given shank 44, it

may be swung on its pivot and set precisely as desired to accomplish the -tettli'ng operation and, thereafter, any furtheredjustment may be had according to conditionsto be met.

The adjustability and V The tettling devices 'or tools have shanks 14. 0t springy material "The shanks 4L4 ar'eqprejt'erably formed of it brass tor the reason that they may be easily bent to the peculiar shape illustrated in Fig. l and require no special tools for bending. It is to be noted that the operation of fettling is for the purpose of chamfering or operation by forming the chamfers or bevels B. As the tiles advance, the bevels or cham fers B are formed until the tile is fettled on both of its longitudinal edges from end to end. The tile then passes on and is turned through an angle of 90 for fettling its transverse edges, as set forth in our aforesaid patent.

Clay being of an abrasive nature, we have found that spring steel is best adapted for service as the cutting tool which engages the edge of the tile T and forms the bevel or chamfer thereon. In Fig. 2 there is shown one form of shank 44 for holding the fettling or cutting tool 49. In this form the brass shank 44 is slashed and the metal struck up in the form of a friction loop 50 which frictionally holds the steel tool 49 whose end abuts the lip 51 on shank 44.

The form of tool and holding means shown in Fig. 1 and other figures of the drawings is that appearing in Figs. 3 and 4. The brass shank 44 has the same lip 51. shown in Fig. 2 but in lieu of the friction loop 50 there is provided a U-clamp 52 which straddles the shank 44 and the cut- -moved forwardly against the lip 51 and a new tool substituted whenever desirable or necessary.

It will be understood that the features of adjustment provided for the brackets and sheaves that bear on the alinement belts 34. and the arrangement and adjustability of the fettling tools, permit the'machine to be arranged to fettle tilesof different dimensions.

We claim: I v 1. In a machine for fettling floor and wall tiles, the combination with a carrier belt for supporting and advancing the tiles, of a bridge arranged in crosswise relation to, and located above, said belt, and tile fettling means carried by said bridge adapted to chamfer an edge of the tiles.

2. In a machine for fettling floor and wall tiles, the combination with a carrier belt for supporting and advancing the tiles, of a bridge arranged in crosswise relation to, and located above, said belt, .and independent tile fettling tools having shanks independently adjustablymounted on said bridge so that the tools may be independently set to simultaneously fettle opposite edges of the tiles as desired.

3. In a machine for fettling floor and wall tiles, the combination with a tilercarrier for advancing the tiles, of side frames, a bridge connecting the side frames and located above the tile carrier, and adjustable tile fettling tools having shanks independently adjustably mounted'on the bridge, and independent adjustable rods connecting the respective shanks with the side frames, whereby the different tools may be independently adjusted. l

4. A fettling tool for a floor and wall tile fettling machine comprising a shank having a lip or abutment,-an' independentcutting tool adapted to engage the .lip or abutment, and a clamping device connecting the tool and shank which permits adjustment of the cutting tool in the general direction of the length of the shank, and removal of the said tool from the shank.

5. In a machine for fettling floor and wall tile, a fettling tool having an inherently springy shank.

6. In a machine for fettling floor and wall tile, a fettling tool having a spring-operated shank.

7. In a machine for fettling floor and wall tile, a spring-operated fettling tool.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures. 

